Kia Soul EV and Mitsubishi I-Miev are both affordable Electric Vehicles (EVs). But do you know how easy it is to own and operate an electric car? You can read a more in depth post about the benefits and reasons you should get an EV here. I will tell you the best part of owning an EV, all the money you can save on gas! This post today should help you understand a little more about owning an EV as well as a quick comparison between two newer EV models.

Mitsubishi I-Miev Mitsubishi calls this “America’s most affordable electric vehicle” and this is very true! As you look at the car from the outside you might think this is just another smart car or another ultra-small vehicle. While this car doesn’t quite feel as small as other cars you can buy, it is much smaller than a regular 4 door sedan. Everything about this car is simple and basic. It is a small battery powered electric car. All of the basic features are included, with very few bells and whistles. What you do get is a very reasonably priced, pleasant to drive EV with around 60 miles per charge. The dashboard area is very simple to read, but as you can see below, you will get only the necessary information without any distractions. In this case, simple works.

I think this would be the perfect car for a shorter commute, a city car, or even as a 2nd car that you might use for errands. To be honest, it almost felt like a big golf cart to me, but the ride was very much like most electric vehicles I have driven. It had very smooth handling, accelerated well, and handled turns and parking nicely. It also had a surprising amount of room where you need it. As you can see in the picture below, we did a big shopping trip at Trader Joe’s and there was plenty of space in the trunk for all of our purchases. Even though the car is small, our big teens fit in the back seat with no problems. For a small car, the interior felt extremely roomy.

The Mitsubishi I-Miev is priced right under $23,000 dollars. BUT, that does not include the $7,500 you can take right off your taxes for buying an electric car. What an incredible price! Some states will even have an additional tax credit too (California will give you an extra $2500 and Georgia will give you an extra $4500!). The I-Miev will give you a very comfortable car at a great price. The driver’s seat is more comfortable than you would guess. Your back row is also quite roomy and the kids did not complain at all back there. How many miles can you go per charge? We were able to charge this car up for a total of 60 miles per trip. Since there is no gas backup, you have to really pay attention and be careful not to strand yourself far away from an electrical outlet. Be careful though, using the heat or AC will knock your charge down even lower. Just keep an eye on your right dial, which shows how many miles are left. It is always easy to stop at a charging station for a short time during your trip if you are afraid of running out of charge. Fairly good crash protection on this car too, 4/5 for front impact and side impact is a 5/5. Unfortunately, the back row gets only a 2/5, so probably not the best family car if safety is a concern to you. For many people, this car is a perfect introduction to the Electric Vehicle world.

Kia Soul EV

The Kia Soul EV is a bit more expenvise than the I-Miev but you get so much more! It is priced right under $31,000, not including your tax breaks mentioned above. We found the Kia Soul EV very comfortable, super fun to drive, and cute to look at. This blue color makes me think of a relaxing day at the ocean. You can see how easy it is to charge the car too. Push a button inside the car and the front charging area opens, then you plug it into any regular electrical outlet and wait for the magic to happen…. owning an electric vehicle really is so easy, no special equipment necessary at all.

As I discussed in the review here of the Kia Sedona minivan, I have never been a big fan of Kia cars until recently. The Kia Soul and the Kia Sedona have solidly changed my mind and now I would be thrilled to be a Kia owner. The Kia Soul EV might be the best EV that I have driven so far (excluding Tesla which is currently out of my budget). Everything about this car was exceptional, from the design inside and out, to the way it handles and drives, and to the features inside. The EV version of the Soul is all electric which means that you need to be aware of your travel and pay attention to when you will need to charge the car. The good news is that the range on this car is over 100 miles which is far more than we would use on any regular day. This is more than double the charge we get on our Chevrolet Volt. One of the nicest features of this car, is the ability to use the fast DC chargers which can charge this vehicle in a short amount of time. We tested this out at MOM’s Market and we were shocked to see that we were fully charged after a short shopping trip. Plus, we got a nice reserved parking spot close to the entrance!

This car was very comfortable and easy to drive. Like all electric vehicles, you will have a smooth, quiet ride with great acceleration. This car handles very nicely and feels more like a small sports car then a compact car. There is also PLENTY of room in this car. The back seat was spacious and comfortable and the hatchback area was HUGE. The teens fit very nicely in the back row, with plenty of leg room and head room. We put a bunch of stuff in the trunk and we had no problems with space. This car has every new feature you would expect to find on a new vehicle. The center console space is well designed and the navigation screen is easy to read. A very important feature of the NAV screen is that it will show you how much range you have left on your charge. Also, it will show you all the nearby charging stations in case you are running low on charge. Cool huh? The reverse camera was one of the best in any car we’ve tested. The steering wheel gave you the ability to control a number of functions while keeping your hands firmly on the wheel and driving. This car gets crash ratings that are all in the good ratings. For many people, this car is a perfect introduction to the Electric Vehicle world. I could not believe how much I loved this Electric Vehicle and I encourage you to go test drive one of these soon.

Owning an Electric Vehicle is really a no-brainer in my opinion. You will save a lot of money since you do not need to buy gas. You will get a nice break on your taxes. Also, you will look forward to driving this car. So many times I have been next to a fancy sports car at a red light and as soon as it turned green I stepped on the gas and zoomed off in front of them. Driving an EV is fun! The only reason I would say you should not buy an EV like these, is if you have a very long commute, or if you cannot find a way to plug in your car. Otherwise, what are you waiting for? The time is NOW to jump on the bandwagon and make your next car an Electric Vehicle. Coming up next month I will be reviewing the 2016 Chevrolet Volt. It is our 3rd Chevy Volt and we are impressed with many of the updates on this newest model. Stay tuned for more.

Leave me a comment below. Would you consider buying an EV? Do you know anyone who owns an EV?

43 thoughts on “Kia and Mitsubishi EVs get the best value for your dollar”

I wish I could get an electric car, but the battery does not last long enough! I drive close to 100 miles in a day but usually more once the battery gets a little bit stronger I cannot wait to get one.

These are indeed very efficient cars and can indeed save a lot of money for someone. The Mitsubishi I-Miev does really have more room than it looks like it does. The Kia Soul EV is the one I really like because Kias are one of my favorite brand vehicles. Thanks for sharing these awesome cars.

Even if your town has no chargers you can just plug into any regular outlet. For instance, when we go to the mall we park in a parking garage and there are always regular electrical outlets along the walls. We take the charger out of the trunk and just plug right in there!

I love the concept of these cars because they do offer so many benefits to the environment and your wallet, but I’ve always been a gas car driver, and I don’t know if I could make the switch! It would be interesting to know how these cars operate in extreme winter weather.

These cars drive perfectly in the extreme winter. They do not heat up as fast, but nothing that a warm pair of gloves and boots cannot help with! You would be surprised at how easy it is to transition from a gas to an electric car. I encourage you to test drive one!

omg i have reviewed all of this vehicles and i really like them. Although i do wish the kia offered more miles. I know you will lovvveee the volt. its a hyrid so it switches between gas and energy with is awesome. and it is such a beauty.

I have never driven an EV but am definitely all about saving the planet one vehicle at a time. Both of these vehicles are stylish and undoubtedly fabulous for mother earth! We just got EV chargers in our town so hopefully more people start going with this trend.